Golem
Common Parlance: *Golem *Dolls (Vulgar racial slur) Taxonomy: Artificiatum Animae Life Status: Debated, technically Non-Living Cultural Notes: Golems have a very strongly united identity as a species. All modern Golems trace their ancestry to the ancient and bygone cultures who initially learned to manipulate arcane Autumn energies to make servants from raw materials. Though originally treated as slaves by the cultures that made them Golem's long ago forcefully claimed their independance in an altercation so horrifying that they have never needed to repeat the act. In modern times the process through which Golems are created is unknown to all but the Golems themselves and they are publicly recognized as a unique and viable species. Though different Golems ponder it to varying degrees, all have questioned at one point or another what it means to be alive. In truth Golems seem to sit on the fence in this regard as they are composed of nonliving matter yet possess within them the spark of life itself, which they can wield to prove their point to great effect. Most Golems consider themselves to be alive, or striving to be, despite the fact that they are scientifically difficult to classify. The prevailing stereotype for Golems is that despite their physical power they are gentle and kind beings who would have difficulty harming another living thing. This stereotype is aided by the fact that Golems tend to remain calm and pleasant in all but the most intense of situations. It is important to note however that Golems can fall along the entirety of the personality spectrum, just like everyone else, they just express extremes less than others might. Internal Physical Features: *Body formation and systems constructed from mechanical apparatus and handmade parts. Materials used in construction as well as body design function as indicators of ancestry. Frequent construction materials include metals, clays, plastics, mechanical parts, various forms of stone or crystal, with wood or Ivory occaionally still being employed. *Circulatory system facilitates the movement of chemicals and lubricants. *Though they have structural similarities by design, it should be obvious that interbreeding between Artificia and either the Mortuus or Mortalis lines is not possible. *The constructed body is given animation through the placing of an elaborate sigil known as a Chem or Khem somewhere in the Golems body, traiditonally in the head. The Chem is the gate way through which animating Autumnal force enters the body, etched lines will run from the Chem throughout the body and limbs forming what functions as the equivilent of a nervous system. These lines resemble nothing so much as modern circuitry, but can function even if they are only etched into the material of the body. Most will fill the etchings with derivitives or wirings made from precious metals, though this does not significantly improve performance. Smaller sigils reminiscent of the larger Chem will be placed at nerve nexus points such as where joints meet. The design of the Chem and the nerve lines are inscribed within the body and are not usually obvious upon observation. *Golem parents who wish to produce a child do so by constructing the body of their child from the appropriate materials. Traditionally all parents will construct the offspring's initial body to resemble an infant, though in exceptionally rare instances bodies constructed as toddlers initially are known. Once the body has been constructed the parents must formulate the Chem that will be used to animate their progeny. This is done by combining elements from each Parent's Chem to create a fusion of the two designs. Once the Chem has been carved/inlaid into the body, the parents will use their own life energy to spark the symbol and ignite life into the newly created being. *The process by which Golems create children does not generate fully formed personalities, this is by design. Newly created children possess only the mental faculties equivilent to living infants as well as a temperment based largly on the combination of Chems that went into their formation. As the child ages they will develope mentally as a normal living being would. In addition to mental development, Golem children also tend to develop additional personality qwirks outside the Chems that went into their creation, helping further differentiate them as an individual. It is thought that this system of picking up personal qwirks was initially a flaw in the golem creation process that the original designers of the method attempted to minimize, modern Golems having simply located this unusual quality in the process and embraced it. *Golem bodies do not naturally grow or develope on their own. Instead as Golem children age they "grow" by continuously adjusting their limbs and building new body structures. This is initially done with help from the parents but it is expected that as Golem children age they will construct the majority of their new body parts on their own. Even the body part containing the Golem's Chem (Typically head) will eventually need to be replaced, a daunting task that usually requires the Golem to seek assistance from a family member or trusted friend to accomplish. It is this process that allows a Golem to appear to age and mature. *The constructed nature of the Golem Corpus would seem to remove it from the finite concerns of mortality, this is decieving. It is true that a Golem could feasibly avoid death forever by maintaining their body and its systems but this is seldom done. The cultural outlook of Golems towards death is one that is completely unique to them. Death is envisioned as the process which seperates those who are truly alive or dead from the state that Golems exist in. To many Golems achieving death is the last step one must take to be able to consider oneself to have been truly alive. Thus most Golems choose to end their existences eventually though, various traditions embrace this concept in different ways. Some choose a certain number of years that feels appropriate to them, after which they will end their existence. Others set stipulations for their death, often the natural death of ones last remaining peer is taken as the sign to end a Golems life. It has been estimated that the Chem of a Golem who chose not to end their existence could support their Corpus for roughly 300 years before complications began to arise. *The mechanical nature of the Golem Corpus makes them terrifyingly strong and exceptionally durable, they are not, however, incincible. Structural damage to the body can be easily repaired in most cases, but damage to the Chem is exceptionally dangerous. Destruction of a Golem's Chem will result in the end of their existence. Destroying a Chem is not necessarily easy, as it is etched deeply somewhere within the Golem's body, but destruction of the part containing the Chem is usually deadly enough to truly kill a Golem. *The Chem is the functional location of the Golem's "mind", it serves as their brain and memory system combined. In this capacity the Chem relies completely on Autumnal resonance and occasionally electrical impulses to function rather than neurochemicals. Golem's tend to experience feelings and emotions as though from a comfortable distance, what is sometimes explained by Golems themselves as "feeling things in the third person". This gives most golems a very calm, somewhat placid demeanor that some find pleasant and others insufferable. It is possible under certain circumstances for Golems to "fully" experience an emotion, these instances, though very rare, can take the Golem by violent suprise causing them to respond with uncharacteristic intensity. *Golems do consume a normal range of food stuffs, mostly as an additional source of fuel. Golems do not need to eat as often or as regularly as non-artificial creatures. *The Golem Corpus is immune to nearly all illnesses and diseases that afflict biological organisms. They are however susceptible to complications unique to them relating to the functioning of their Chem and the mechanical systems of their bodies. External Physical Features: *Golem faces are expressive despite the mechanical nature of the species. This is because golems tend to construct their faces in layers. The lowest level is composed of mechanical pieces that help facilitate motion and other functions such as vision, olfactory senses and taste. Over this, layers of fine marble rough out the solid structures of the face. Atop this layer is placed a very firm form of clay and porceline composite. The porceline clay composite functions as a layer of moldable skin, by manipulating the mechanical muscles that lie below along with fluctuations in their Autumnal field Golems can express the full range of emotions realistically. In general golem faces look astonishingly organic and expressive. *Though mechanical metal based golems are the most commonly encountered today it is not the only Golem tradition still alive. Golem families that maintain the practice of building their bodies out of straw and wood to resemble scarecrows are not unknown, and incredibly traditional families that rely on clay as the only building material for their bodies are still well known within the golem community. Choice of building materials is shaped by ones family and line of descent though nothing anatomical or arcane prevents a Golem from employing materials not traditionally used by their families. *Golem height and weight ranges widely along the spectrum when compared to other species dependant largely on the Golem in questions preference. Golems do tend to be heavier than their peers, though this largely depends upon the materials employed in their construction.. Horrors: I. 10,000 Volts: This Horror allows a Golem to pull upon the very sources of energy that grant them life to perform a number of practical and sometimes destructive tasks. Wielding this Horror can allow a Golem to power a machine or a device somewhere in their vicinity by drawing trivial amounts of energy from their own bodies. Skilled users of this Horror can power many devices or perhaps even a whole building, though not for terribly long before they became exhausted. The destructive nature of this Horror is also well known. With it a Golem can surround their body with Agitated autumnal energy, even projecting it destructivly from their bodies. The form this energy takes is usually dependant on the material composition of the Golem's body and largely cosmetic. Metal golems tend to manifest energy that resembles arcing electricity, while golems made of other materials frequently manifest energy resembling fire, though these are not definitive rules. This horror functions by drawing an unusual abundance of excess power through the Golems Chem and projecting it along the nerve systems of the Golem's body, then outward towards the intended goal. Golems cannot easily harm other Golems by direct application of this power, indeed it is the method by which Golem parents spark the Chem of their child. Golem's tend to frown on the violent use of this ability outside of self defense, fearing that it perpetuates false negative stereotypes. Additionally when employed in a structural capacity this power creates a intense fluctuation in the Electromagnetic spectrum of an area, this can lead to complications with nearby electronic equipment and systems. {C}II. Verdent Hymn: Golems are animated by a raw and powerful expression of the very fabric of life, by manipulating this raw Autumnal force that flows through them Golems are able to influence, control, and facilitate the growth of plants. Careful application of this power can visibly restore a ailing plant to health while more vulgar displays could cause a tree to bear fruit or a plant to flower on command. Golems can exert the most control over the growth of plants when they apply their powers over longer periods of time shaping the growth of such foliage slowly. If used with more abandon a Golem can cause rapid spontaneous growth in plants though they sacrifice some control over the movements of those plants for doing so. This power seems to work by focusing the Autumnal field of the Golem on the enviroment around them, the field then weaves itself unobtrusivly through the plants present. By controlling the flow of life energy around them the Golem is able influence the plantlife, causing intense growth in a small focused area or a general enhancement of growth over a larger field. This Horror seems to have no effect at all over animal life. Research continues into the exact mechanics behind this set of capabilities. {C}III. Strength of Stones: The innate nature of the Golem anatomy makes it capable of truly impressive feats of physical strength on its own, by employing this horror a Golem is able to improve their strength even further. Using this horror enhances a Golems physical strength, endurance, and structural fortitude exponentially. As with the Horror 10,000 volts using this ability too much can lead to exhaustion of the Golem's reserves of Autumnal energy, a situation that is especially relevant to Golems as their bodies are animated the presence of this force. The horror functions by increasing the amount of Autumnal energy moving along the circutry of the Golem's nervous system. This additional energy improves the effectivness of the present anatomy and serves as a structural reinforcer. It is worth noting that when this power is employed the spike in ambient energy can interfere with the functioning of nearby electronic equipment and systems. {C} 'Cultural Notes:' Golems have a very strongly united identity as a species. All modern Golems trace their ancestry to the ancient and bygone cultures who initially learned to manipulate arcane Autumn energies to make servants from raw materials. Though originally treated as slaves by the cultures that made them Golem's long ago forcefully claimed their independance in an altercation so horrifying that they have never needed to repeat the act. In modern times the process through which Golems are created is unknown to all but the Golems themselves and they are publicly recognized as a unique and viable species. Though different Golems ponder it to varying degrees, all have questioned at one point or another what it means to be alive. In truth Golems seem to sit on the fence in this regard as they are composed of nonliving matter yet possess within them the spark of life itself, which they can wield to prove their point to great effect. Most Golems consider themselves to be alive, or striving to be, despite the fact that they are scientifically difficult to classify. The prevailing stereotype for Golems is that despite their physical power they are gentle and kind beings who would have difficulty harming another living thing. This stereotype is aided by the fact that Golems tend to remain calm and pleasant in all but the most intense of situations. It is important to note however that Golems can fall along the entirety of the personality spectrum, just like everyone else, they just express extremes less than others might.